The head of one of the world’s biggest corporations is the marquee speaker this year at the Changing Fortunes Round Table event at Spruce Meadows. John Watson, chairman and chief executive of U.S.-based Chevron Corporation with a current market capitalization of $240 billion, will be here Friday for this year’s discussion on World Energy with more than 180 national and international top-decision makers in attendance and a waiting list of many more wanting to be there.

With expectations the European Union will impose sanctions on Russia as early as Tuesday that target its financial, energy and defence industries, the question being asked in these parts is what impact they might have on Canada's energy sector.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper was his own Conservative attack ad Saturday night, launching a scathing critique of Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau in front of an enthusiastic partisan crowd. Speaking at the annual Stampede barbecue of his Conservative riding association — which will become Calgary Heritage at the next election — Harper said both the opposition NDP and Liberals would jeopardize Canada’s economic stability and position in the world.

A single-shot vaccine used for toddlers across Canada doubles the risk of fever-induced seizures compared with using two separate vaccines, according to a University of Calgary study published Monday. While the findings may fuel anti-vaccination advocates, the lead researcher says being honest with their research can help prevent another measles outbreak.

Today, computers fly planes and the men and women at their controls face a gruelling challenge against fatigue. In one 14-hour flight it is estimated that a pilot may only actually be flying the plane for a staggering 15 minutes or less.

Using antibiotics to promote livestock growth remains legal on Canadian farms, even as the U.S. government moves to crack down on the practice and a growing chorus of voices warns of a potential public health risk. “A lot of these products that are available are cost-effective, but we need to stop this nonsense,” said Jan Slomp, president of the National Farmers Union, which is calling for an all-out ban on the use of antibiotics other than for reasons of medical necessity. “It is not in the farmer’s interest, or the consumer’s.”

Still basking in the glow of this fall’s bumper crop, Alberta farmers have been dealt another strong hand with the recently negotiated Canada-EU free trade deal. In spite of opposition from Canadian dairy farmers who don’t want to see greater quantities of European cheese entering Canada, the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement — or CETA — has been praised by beef producers eager to embrace new markets. But Alberta’s wheat, barley, and oilseed producers are also enthusiastic about the deal, which they say could increase the profitability of Canada’s agricultural sector.

When Canadians walk into a big-box grocery store, or a clothing outlet, or a restaurant, and receive poor service, chances are their first thought is not, “I wish the government could help straighten out this business model and train employees to be better with customers.”

Alberta’s beef and pork producers praised Wednesday’s news of a pending free trade deal between Canada and the European Union, saying an agreement would translate into a multi-million dollar opportunity for farmers. But the organization that represents Alberta’s dairy producers said cheese makers will suffer, and stated the dairy industry will do everything it can to persuade the government not to ratify the deal.

Archbishop Justin Welby’s choice of the word “martyrs” to describe the 85 Pakistani Christians killed when their church in Peshawar was targeted by suicide bombers has raised eyebrows. It is the sort of language avoided nowadays in the secular, sceptical West, with its taken-for-granted religious freedoms, in case it makes people feel uncomfortable.

ST. PETERSBURG, Russia — President Barack Obama acknowledged deep divisions at home and abroad on Friday over his call for military action in Syria — and conceded the possibility he’ll fail to sway the American public. He refused to say whether he would act without passage of congressional authorization for a strike in response to chemical weapons use.

CALGARY - Dairy farmers in the province where beef is king say they don’t believe their heavily protected industry is a threat to a prospective free trade deal that could mean improved access to the European Union for Alberta’s beef producers. “We’re not trying at all to block anyone else from getting the access they need,” said Mike Southwood, general manager of Alberta Milk, which represents Alberta’s 585 licensed dairy producers. “It’s frustrating, because we really hate to see farmer pitted against farmer, sector against sector.”